The security and timing of the release of promotional material can be of vital importance to the developers of that material. For example, in the music industry a key component of marketing is the release of a single off a new album to radio stations. The listener response to a new single provides important information upon which wider marketing and release decisions will be based. For radio stations, the release of a new single also provides them with a promotional event to boost market share. Being the first station to premiere a new single by a popular artist can provide a competitive advantage.
Accordingly, controlling the timing of the release of a single and the persons receiving it is an important aspect of a recording label promotional program. Traditionally, the distribution is done by creating a promotion-only CD containing the single track and then distributing this CD to individual radio stations by courier. This method has many drawbacks, including the number of people who handle the CD while it is in transit. In many instances, a new single has been illicitly copied or stolen, distributed to unauthorized persons and released to the public prior to the intended release date and time. Moreover, this method is difficult to time accurately, is labour-intensive and subject to disruption from weather, labour strife, transportation problems and human error. Ensuring that competitive radio stations have access to a new single simultaneously and securely is important to the trust between the record label and the radio stations.
The same difficulties can be found in other industries and circumstances, including the distribution of new movies in the film industry and the distribution of new campaigns in the advertising industry. In general, the problem is experienced in any industry in which a content provider wishes to ensure the security and simultaneous timing of a distribution of content to a plurality of recipients.
As a further example, the advertising industry experiences difficulty in obtaining appropriate approvals from designated reviewers when a new proposed advertisement is developed. At present, it is common for advertising firms to create a dub of a proposed advertising spot and courier it to the intended reviewers, with the expectation that the reviewers will review the spot and telephone to grant their approval or disapproval. In some cases, it has been necessary to play a proposed advertisement to a reviewer over the telephone in order to obtain their approval or disapproval. Accordingly, there is presently an unacceptable level of delay, cost, uncertainty and inaccuracy involved in the distribution and approval of proposed new advertisements.